(Editor’s note: The following letters were submitted by seventh-grade students at Calvary Chapel Academy in Belen.)

Belen needs to invest in a YMCA facility
Editor:
Hi, my name Shelby Smart. I’m in the seventh grade and I go to Calvary Chapel Academy. I like to swim. I used to be on the Los Lunas swim team, the Stingrays.
I usually go to the Belen High School pool to swim, but it is pretty crowded, especially in the summer when it is hot. I think Belen should have a YMCA because you can swim and it’s for the whole family.
Having a YMCA will be good for the community by promoting more jobs, exercising with family and it helps the elderly by having a safe place to socialize.
Please consider my thoughts on bringing a YMCA to the community.

Shelby Smart

More oil drilling would provide more jobs
Editor:
I am writing to you about how our government should provide more jobs for people.
I know if the government let us drill oil, there would be lots of jobs. The government will not let us drill because they think it might endanger the water.
I know some people who have lost their jobs because their jobs were closing. We wouldn’t be in this place if the government would provide the right to drill oil because there would be more people than jobs.
Right under our feet, there is a lot of oil that can be drilled and can be used to provide jobs. There will be a lot of happy faces in New Mexico.

William E. Terrel

Street lights and roads should always work
Editor:
I am writing this letter concerning the roads and street lights in Valencia County.
I think the city maintenance crew should be maintaining the street lights and roads better. I also think that when a street is messed up the maintenance should fix it faster than they do. I wish the same for the roads too.
The reason for my concern is because sometimes when the lights are broken, it can be very dangerous. Also, it ruins your car like your shocks, tires and other parts of your car.
I think it’s important to keep your car in good condition and that’s one of the reasons that the maintenance crew should be on task.
Thank you citizens and editor for listening to my concerns.

Henry Jaramillo

Kids today should be more physically active
Editor:
My name is Arsenio, and I am 13 years old. I am a seventh-grader at Calvary Chapel Academy.
One of my favorite things do is to play sports, but many kids don’t like to play sports. Too many kids do not want to play sports.
They’d rather stay inside and play video games. I come from a family that likes to hunt. I am always doing something like walking or target practicing with my dad in the mountains. We even like taking a walk in our neighborhood a couple a times a week.
A lot of kids need to unplug from video games. I suggest that if you have kids play sports with them or go for a walk.
One of my favorite things to do is to ride my bike. Be active with them.

Arsenio Benito Martinez

Bike trails would help with family fun time
Editor:
My name is Jennifer. I go to school at Calvary Chapel Academy in Belen.
One of my biggest concerns is family time. So I was thinking that Valencia County needs a bike trail so you can be fit and ride bikes with your families and friends.
A bike trail has a lot of benefits for you and your family. So what do you say? Let’s get bike trails in Valencia County.

Jennifer Salinas

Valencia County would love more horse trails
Editor:
I am a community member in Los Lunas. I think there should be horse trails throughout Belen, Los Lunas, Peralta and Bosque Farms.
The reason I see this being important is because we are horse owners and many other community members are too. We do not have a good trail area for riding our horses around. Many of us have to haul them to riding trails that are located miles away.
Another reason I think horse trails are necessary for these communities is because it would be a safer way to ride instead of on the local roads. Many of the community roads are one way and have very small shoulders to ride horses on.
The traffic is pretty busy in these areas as well. Many riders feel this is a safety issue and so do I. The horses are also spooked having to ride so close to the roads.
My idea of creating horse trails throughout the communities I listed earlier makes sense for many of us horse owners and riders. We are in need of safe trails to allow our horses the exercise and opportunity to be ridden close to home.
It is very hard on the horses to be in a horse trailer for a long period of time to go to a place that is safe enough to ride. I know I would enjoy some closer horse trails for me to go out and ride my horse in my community safely.

Hope Trujillo

Student is waiting for a local hospital
Editor:
My name is Kevin Jaramillo, a seventh-grader at Calvary Chapel Academy. I am writing this letter because I am concerned about a hospital that has not been built.
The people of Valencia County voted for a hospital in late 2006. It was approved, and so far there is no sure place where it will be built.
There has been more than $11 million collected for the hospital. The people should know that this money is for a hospital and not being spent on anything else.
We do need a hospital here in Valencia County. Someone needs to make the right decision how to build and when it will be built on the site where it was voted on.
Where is our hospital? This is my concern. I hope someone will listen.

Kevin Jaramillo

Valencia County needs clean yards
Editor:
My name is Jesse Griego and I am a seventh-grader at Calvary Chapel Academy. I live in Tomé and just like to get outside and work on something.
I have noticed through the years a lot of messy, trashy yards. I think that Valencia County has an issue on maintaining clean yards.
If you look at a nice house with a nice yard you admire that, but when you see a house with a trashy yard you want the person who owns the house to clean it up a little.
It is nice if you look at your own yard and say, “Hey, this looks pretty good.”
My desire is for us in Valencia County to have nice, clean communities. Instead of wasting time watching TV or just sitting around, use your time wisely and do work on your yard to please yourself and others.

Jesse Griego

Timan Park needs some maintenance
Editor:
In my community there is a park named Timan Park. In years past, the park was in much better condition. It was a nice place for kids to play and for teens to hang out. My friends and I used to like going there often.
Now, the park is in very poor condition. Some sections of grass are dead, the walls on the gazebo are full of graffiti and the park is full of trash.
It is my understanding that the Valley Improvement Association is responsible for the park.
It would be nice if they would replant the grass, cover up the graffiti and pick up the trash along with providing more trash cans.
Also it would make it more family friendly if there were more picnic tables and the playground equipment was upgraded.

Alysha Woollard

The county needs a homeless shelter
Editor:
I see a lot of homeless people on the sides of roads everyday. When I drive by, it makes me feel like we are taking advantage of the stuff we have.
All the people in Valencia County always take instead of give, including me. I believe that it should be changed.
I think that we should put a homeless shelter in Valencia County to prevent all of the lost people on the roads. It should be off N.M. 6 near Walmart Distribution Center.
The government owns this land and there’s nothing there so it wouldn’t be a problem to put it there.
This will prevent homeless people starving, freezing and lost on cold winter nights in Valencia County.
Also, it will keep a lot more people alive at least in a better home.

Harlee Garner

Animal shelters help many pets
Editor:
My name is Madison Hogue. I think having an animal shelter is important because the animals have somewhere safe and warm when they don’t have homes.
It is better to have an animal shelter than to let abandoned animals roam the streets and be picked up by the pound. You might as well just leave them there.
Animal shelters help animals without families. They also keep them for as long as they can or until the animals can be adopted. Animal shelters provide food and families for them.
They get more calls as it gets colder. In the winter, there are more animals wandering around in the cities. When they get the call, they go to the appointed location and gently and calmly take the pet to the shelter.
There, they feed it, water it and give it love and affection. Most of all they make it comfortable and warm. Animal shelters make a huge difference.
People can help support the animal shelters by volunteering, and helping with taking care of the animals. They can donate their time and money. They can also bring warm blankets and food for them; that would help a lot.
I think we should start supporting them. Imagine your pet in a cold, lonely pound; horrible don’t you think?
Help the animal shelters. The animals would be grateful.